Diplomats sharing global business expertise with British firms

British diplomats are visiting every corner of the UK this summer to build connections with British businesses and champion their interests overseas.

Ambassadors and High Commissioners are posted for long stints in other countries, and part of their brief is to get under the skin of the place where they are based. That includes getting to know the ins and outs of the business landscape, and spotting opportunities for British businesses.

As part of a first-of-its-kind ‘domestic roadshow', the Foreign Secretary has called some of the country's top diplomats home to build relationships with mayors and regional businesses across all nations and regions of the UK so that they can represent them even better abroad.

Over 10 visits have taken place so far, with more planned throughout the summer and into the autumn. The goal of the roadshows is to strengthen ties between British regions and the UK's closest economic partners, to drive economic growth and deliver part of this Government's Plan for Change. 

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

Our Ambassadors and High Commissioners are the salesforce for the UK economy.

Through this roadshow, my top diplomats are meeting mayors and regional businesses to discuss trade and investment opportunities and strike new partnerships, ultimately so they can champion the UK's interests overseas and deliver growth.

In this Government's Plan for Change, the economic interests of British businesses sit at the heart of our foreign policy.

The roadshow follows the launch of the Government's landmark Modern Industrial Strategy, with each roadshow stop designed to target one of the eight growth sectors, including defence, clean energy, life sciences, digital tech, advanced manufacturing, and financial services.

The senior diplomats, who include ambassadors to Italy, Spain, and South Korea, have been told to harness the expertise of regional entrepreneurs to unlock growth opportunities overseas.

The UK's Ambassador to Italy, Ed Llewellyn was in South Yorkshire last Friday (4 July) where he visited steel manufacturer Marcegaglia, which announced a £50 million investment in Sheffield during Prime Minister Keir Starmer's visit to Italy last autumn. This investment will build a new clean steel electric arc furnace, supporting 50 new jobs directly and indirectly.

Ambassador Llewellyn also toured the Advanced Manufacturing Park in Rotherham – visiting Italian steel manufacturer Danieli and the University of Sheffield's Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), which is part of the UK's High Value Manufacturing Catapult network of research centres. 

Ambassador to Italy Ed Llewellyn said:

It's exciting to be in South Yorkshire as part of this first-of-its-kind roadshow – going the extra mile to develop relationships that will help us supercharge growth to every corner of the UK.

Sheffield has had a close affinity with Italy since the 19th century, when many Italian workers arrived in West Bar and played a vital role in the city's economy.

We're hitting the road to speak directly to community leaders and businesses, so that not a single opportunity is missed to generate trade and investment wins overseas. 

The UK Government's Plan for Change is making Britain the best country to do business with, and I am looking forward to building on today's roadshow discussions to showcase South Yorkshire on the international stage.

South Yorkshire's Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said:

My job is growth – building not just a bigger economy, but a better one. But that kind of transformation doesn't happen by accident. If we're serious about creating an economy where everyone can stay near and go far, then we need to take our message to the world.

That's why having Ambassador Llewellyn right here in South Yorkshire is so vital. South Yorkshire is already home to world-leading companies and cutting-edge research, and we're determined to grow our international footprint.

By working directly with the UK's diplomatic network, we can open new doors for local businesses, attract investment and build the partnerships that will power our economy for the future.

Meanwhile Ambassador to Spain Alex Ellis was in Greater Manchester to attend a Business Roundtable with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and locally based businesses before meeting with the Leader of Manchester City Council, Councillor Bev Craig.

Ambassador Ellis visited the University of Manchester for a meeting with Professor Fiona Devine, Vice-President and Dean for the Faculty of Humanities.

On 30 June, Ambassador to Belgium Anne Sherriff visited South Wales for a meeting with the Welsh Government's Director for International Relations. She also visited CSA Catapult, a not-for-profit research and technology organisation based in Newport which supports start-ups, SMEs, large organisations, and academia to commercialise compound semiconductor technologies.

The first roadshow kicked off on Wednesday 25 June, as Ambassador to South Korea, Colin Crooks, headed to the North East of England. The ambassador visited firms linked to clean energy with a tour of the Tees Works freeport and met with the UK CEO of SeAH Wind, a South Korean company constructing a wind turbine manufacturing facility in Teesside.

The roadshow comes as the Government marks one year in office. It is part of a wider effort by the FCDO, under the Foreign Secretary's leadership, to represent the interests of British businesses and consumers overseas and use its international networks to support in the delivery of the Plan for Change and a decade of national renewal.

In a speech to the British Chambers of Commerce in March, the Foreign Secretary laid out a ‘new partnership' between the Foreign Office and businesses to drive economic growth in the UK and ensure this Government is delivering for the British public.